The first of the scholarships the funds will provide will be presented in the fall semester, the Texas school said after the presentation was made during a recent meeting of its board of trustees, RBFCU said.

Smith retired at the end of the year and now serves as a senior adviser to the Live Oak, Texas, credit union’s board of directors.

“Establishing an endowed scholarship in Randy Smith’s name is a fitting tribute to a man who has dedicated his entire career to helping others," said Dr. Harry M. Edwards, chairman of the RBFCU board of directors.

"He has supported many educational endeavors over the years and is the personification of the core credit union philosophy of 'People Helping People.' By providing this scholarship in his name, our credit union will be able to help young people achieve their educational goals while honoring Mr. Smith's legacy,” Edwards said.

Michael D. Beldon, chairman of the Alamo Colleges Foundation, said, "As a committee chair and valued member of our foundation board, Randy’s leadership has played in a key role in the progress we’ve been able to achieve in recent years.”

Smith served as president and CEO at RBFCU from 1987 through this past Dec. 31. He also was a 27-year Air Force veteran who has served on a number of state and national credit union boards and in community service positions that, along with the Alamo Colleges board, includes the United Way, Chamber of Commerce and as a military liaison.